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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26992036">Where You Lead (I Will Follow)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceofsparrows/pseuds/aceofsparrows'>aceofsparrows</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, F/M, Pre-Canon, soren &amp; claudia's childhood fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:36:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>740</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26992036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceofsparrows/pseuds/aceofsparrows</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Late that night, lying in her bed in the room next to Soren's, Claudia hears her parents shouting at each other on the other side of the wall.</p>
<p>It's the beginning of the end.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Soren and Claudia's childhood, how their parents split up, and the lingering effects of that time upon the events of canon.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harrow/Sarai (The Dragon Prince), Viren/Viren's Ex-Wife (The Dragon Prince)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Where You Lead (I Will Follow)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For reference: </p>
<p>in part i, Claudia is four and Soren is six. Viren and his family live in the castle. Harrow has met but not yet married Sarai.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="">
  <p>"Mama, can I play with Sor-bear?" The little girl asks, green eyes wide. Her mother pats her head.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"No, baby. Sor-bear is sleeping. Maybe later, darling."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The little girl frowns. Sor-bear's always sleeping. Maybe she can play quietly in his room so she's there when he wakes up?</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Rushing from the nursery to go find her dolls where she left them this morning, she bumps into a man in the hall. He smiles at her.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Where are you going so fast, Claudia?" He asks. The little girl grins. The man is Daddy's friend, the Prince. Claudia likes his shiny crown and kind eyes.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I'm gonna go get my dolls so I can play with Sor-bear!" She answers eagerly, and the Prince laughs.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"That sounds lovely."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The little girl runs away then, task once more in the forefront of her mind. Soon she returns to the nursery, dolls in hand. A little knight-- Soren's favorite-- and a princess-- her favorite-- and a little stuffed unicorn, for them to ride. She slips into her brother's room, door creaking. He wakes, smiling when he sees her standing by the foot of the bed.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Hey, Clauds."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Sor-bear! Mama said you were sleeping, but I bringed my dolls so we could play if you wanna!" She holds the dolls aloft, and her brother laughs.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Only if I get to be the knight..."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Claudia grins. "Okay!"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The bed is high and Claudia's little four-year-old legs are short, but she manages to get up without too much difficulty. Soren sits up, patting the spot next to him, and his sister settles, handing him his doll and already babbling on about the quest the knight and the princess are going on to slay the dragon, and the evil elf they're going to have to fight on the way, and how they'll ride their trusty unicorn all the way into Xadia. He's still tired (he's always tired these days) but he love his sister, so he nods along, making his knight fight the invisible evil elf and the dragon that ends up being one of Claudia's black socks pulled over her hand.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>They're celebrating their victory when their mother looks in on them. Soren's knight is doing a dance, and Claudia's unicorn joins in, standing on its hind legs, Claudia neighing a little tune. Their mother chuckles, smiling, and comes to sit on the edge of the bed.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Claudia, I hope you didn't wake your brother."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Nope!" Claudia says, still making the unicorn dance, and Lissa nods.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Good. Soren, how are you feeling, sweetie?” She asks her son, and Soren shrugs. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Better, I guess. My legs still feel funny though, like a bunch of little pokey things are stabbing them all the time. And they’re really heavy.” He shrugs again. At least the pain’s gone away. At least now he can <em>feel</em> his legs, unlike before. He feels more awake than he has in days, and that’s enough. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Oh, Mama mama mama!” Claudia says suddenly, dropping her unicorn in excitement. “Look what Daddy taught me yesterday! Look look look!” The little girl rummages around in her dress pockets until she finds a small corked glass bottle. Inside is a lightning bug, flickering every so often. With the utmost concentration, Claudia uncorks the bottle, tipping the bug into her palm, and squishes the insect in her small hand with a <em>crunch</em>. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“<em>Thgil ruoy em evig!</em>” She commands in a high, firm voice, and when she opens her hand her palm is glowing with warm, white light. She grins, giggling at her completed spell, but her mother is frowning at the way the whites and irises of the little girl’s eyes have gone a deep, all-consuming black. Her father has taught her Dark Magic, and her mother is not happy about it. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"It's time for dinner, Claudia," Lissa says quickly, rising from the bed and picking up her small daughter, dolls forgotten on the coverlet. "Soren, if you're feeling well enough, you may join us as well." She smiles at her son, who nods, and she leaves the room. Claudia waves at Soren over her mother's shoulder, unaware of the trouble she's caused.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Late that night, lying in her bed in the room next to Soren's, Claudia hears her parents shouting at each other in the sitting room on the other side of the wall about Viren being reckless and Lissa worrying about the children.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>It's the beginning of the end.</p>
</div>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As always, comments are welcome and encouraged! If you'd like to read some of my more meta ramblings on the subject of Claudia &amp; Soren's childhood or tell me *your* theories about it, you can find me on my Dragon Prince tumblr, @mediocre-mage</p></blockquote></div></div>
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